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After they have greeted each other and inquired about each other's health, Thor's mother has him sit down in one of the two chairs by the big window as she takes her seat in the other, her customary one. She will sit in it for hours, look out of the window over the kingdom and weave and weave; it's Thor's strongest memory of her.
"Tell me," she now says. "I heard Loki wedded a Midgardian. What are they like?"
"His name is Anthony Stark, though he strongly prefers to be addressed as Tony," Thor tells her. He knows not what else to say; he has never been good with people. There are few things he enjoys less than talking about them.
Frigga knows this, but she does not leave him to it as she would have in the past – though back then, she always could ask Loki these questions, and Loki would be able to give so much better answers than Thor. They would converse for hours about a person, their skills, wishes, ambitions, and predict what that person would do without ever having spoken to that person about any of this, and they were always right. It has always felt like magic to Thor, and more than once he'd felt unpleasantly excluded from this secret world his mother and brother shared that Thor had no access to. Now that his mother tries to draw him into it he feels it even stronger, how much he lacks the ability to see people. Adorably naïve, Loki used to call it, but Thor knows it has ceased being adorable a long time ago.
And yet, their mother will have to make do with him. She can not talk to Loki anymore; he has not come to see her, not once in those two weeks after his return to Asgard and before he left for Jotunheim.
Not left, Thor reminds himself, was sent off to. Loki was sent, and nobody knew whether he would survive. He needs to stop using euphemisms when referring to the Allfather's actions; it has not gotten him anywhere good and has in fact played a considerable part in his relationship with Loki souring. It is Thor's fault and his fault alone, he knows that now, and to regain some resemblance of the relationship with Loki that he once had, he needs to change. Grow up.
"Who is Anthony Stark?" Frigga asks, pulling Thor out of his thoughts. "Is he a Lord? How did he and Loki meet?"
"He is not a Lord, no. As far as I know, he does not hold any formal title on Midgard." Thor says this with a thoughtful frown. "At least not in the same sense as we hold titles; inherited, or gained by marriage. On Midgard, it appears that titles are gained through actions, and they are not often formal." He thinks about that for a moment; Midgard is complicated in that sense. By the way other people treat Director Fury, for example, Thor can tell that he holds some power, and from how they act he is fairly sure that Tony too holds a lot of power, though in a different sense than Director Fury. They struggle over whose power is greater and so far, Thor has gotten the impression that they are fairly equal; sometimes one will give, sometimes the other. "However, Tony does have a lot of power," he tries to explain. "He is a very skilled inventor and commands many people."
Frigga nods slowly; she is impatient, Thor can tell, but he is already trying his best to give her what she wants. "How is he addressed, then?"
"Mr. Stark," Thor replies immediately. "Midgardians now are addressed by their gender followed by their second name unless they have gained a formal title indicating their professional position, such as Director, or Doctor."
He should have not said that, because it reminds his mother of Jane. She smiles encouragingly and asks, "How is your Doctor Jane fairing?"
Thor tries not to grimace, but he suspects he fails. His mother has always been able to read him so easily – a skill Loki shares, something which at times is helpful, but not always. "Jane is… worried about our differences," he says stiffly, hoping she will not inquire further. He does not want to tell his mother about their fighting. She would not tell anybody else, but he just does not want to talk about it.
For a moment Frigga just looks at him, but eventually she nods. Taking his hand between hers, she turns the topic back to Loki. "Is Mr. Stark also worried?"
She is trying to make him feel better by asking about somebody else, but what she does not know is that this is one of the things Jane is conflicted about while Thor cannot understand how she can be so worried about it when Tony clearly does not worry at all. She keeps saying – sometimes yelling – that it is not the same at all, but Thor does not understand, because it is. Tony too is mortal while Loki is not. Loki, just like Thor, is what Midgardians call an "alien". Loki is a prince and several centuries old, while Tony is not. Their situations are very similar.
And yet, Jane keeps saying that it's different because Tony is Tony but Thor does not understand at all what she is trying to say. Yes, Tony is Tony – obviously – but Jane is Jane. They are both scientists, both courageous people, and that Jane is not a warrior does not matter at all. In fact, she would have it more difficult on Asgard if she were, but she told him that's not "it". Thor just can't understand what she means by "it", and Jane does not appear to be able to explain, and yet "it" troubles her greatly.
Thor does not want to think about this any longer; some time soon, when things have calmed down, he wants to ask Loki for advice, but not now. "No," he answers his mother's question, "he is not."
Frigga's expression turns sympathetic; she clearly is realizing what the problem between Thor and Jane is. "Oh, Thor," she says, squeezing his hand. She knows how important Jane is to him, how highly regards her for the impact she had on him merely by being herself.
"I wish not to speak about it at this time, mother," Thor requests quietly.
"Of course." Frigga squeezes his hand again. "Tell me then about Anthony Stark. Is he a good match for our… for Loki?"
Because he's not their Loki anymore – in their hearts he is and will always remain so, but he is very hurt and very angry and would not take kindly to their calling him that now. Their family is all broken up and Thor does not know how to make it whole again; he does not know if anyone could.
Throat a little tight, Thor nods. "He… he understands Loki. Comforts him." And for that, Thor is immensely grateful. Without Tony to help Thor understand (and, perhaps, he does the same for Loki as well), their fighting would be much worse, of that Thor is sure.
"He is a support?" Frigga inquires.
Immediately, Thor nods. He has been searching for that word, for how to put it; his mother found the perfect description. "Very much so." He hesitates. "I believe… he makes Loki happy." He remembers the way Loki smiles at Tony; it has been far too long since Thor last saw that expression on Loki's face. It's the way Jane smiles at him, and Thor smiles at her, and that is what hurts the most, between them – if maybe they could forget each other, maybe it would be easier. But Thor could never forget her, not for all the spells in the realms, not in a thousand years.
"That is good," Frigga says. "Loki needs someone to be there for him. I am gladdened he is not alone."
"I am as well," Thor replies quietly. He cannot think of Tony and Loki without thinking of Jane, but that only makes him all the happier for Loki. After everything that has happened, his brother deserves someone that brings him happiness instead of sorrow.